Ours is a typical, unpretentious modern Irish suburban home: it's a two-storey detached house, has four bedrooms (one converted into a study), 2.5 bathrooms, small front garden, larger private rear garden.
It's #28 in a small estate of 30 houses.
In summer we set up a little kids' pool in the back garden and there's a large patio and barbeque area for outdoor dining.
We have an 8-year-old daughter who has a mountain of toys. And we have plenty of bicycles if you like to cycle. We will leave our car for you.

Our home is in a quiet cul-de-sac in the village of Cabinteely, which has local shops and restaurants (Thai, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Spanish within five minutes's stroll) and a good pub (the Horse and Hound). The jewel in the local crown is Cabinteely Park, just opposite us, the largest public family park in South Dublin. There is no better children's playground in all of Ireland. The Park comprises the former gardens of Cabinteely House, a lovely 18th century Georgian pile, which plays hosts to open days and family events throughout the summer.
The neighbourhood is quiet, family-friendly, and residential. The bus stop around the corner is served every 10 minutes with buses to the city century (about 8 miles away); they stop at Trinity College and St Stephen's Green and the journey takes about 40 minutes at busy times.
If you plan on sightseeing by driving further afield, we are very lucky to be located just a five-minute drive from the M50, the orbital motorway around Dublin onto which all the regional roads feed (from Cork, Killarney, Galway, Belfast, Donegal, etc), making for stress-free access to the rest of Ireland. WE WILL LEAVE OUR CAR FOR YOU TO USE.
When not in the Park we spend a lot of time in summer at the seaside at Sandycove, about 3 miles away. It has the martello tower in which James Joyce lived (now a museum) and great facilities - sea bathing at the Forty Foot made famous in "Ulysses", sailing, canoeing, scuba diving, fishing all on the doorstep.
There are also wonderful local walks to Dun Laoghaire Harbour, Killiney Hill and Beach (where we have often bumped into local resident U2's Bono), Coliemore Harbour and Dalkey Island and the medieval heritage town of Dalkey, where I sometimes spot Van Morrison out for a quiet stroll.
There is also horse-riding five minutes' drive away if you fancy it.
There are also wonderful beaches, mountains and a vast range of heritage sites within a half-hour's drive in County Wicklow to the south, including beautiful Powerscourt Demesne and Waterfall and the world-renowned early medieval monastic site at Glendalough.
Numerous golf courses are also within easy reach - apparently, per square mile, the highest density of professional golf courses anywhere in the world.

Because of school commitments, in the summer it's got to be July or August but are flexible for shorter breaks at other times.

We almost always holiday in Continental Europe and will probably end up doing so again in 2013, but if there was a chance of visiting the USA, preferably California or somewhere in New England like Cape Cod, that would be lovely. We have an 8-year old daughter and would like to go somewhere a child would enjoy and that is not unbearably hot in July/August.

There's three of us - me and my wife (late 40s, early 50s), one an archaeologist and the other a university lecturer, and our daughter (aged 9 in August 2013). There's plenty of books to be read if you're into Irish history and archaeology. If you have kids they will not want for cuddly toys, Barbies, swings, trampolines, bikes, scooters, etc. We have a half decent music collection. My mother-in-law lives nearby but don't let that put you off: I just mean that she would happily come to the rescue if you had any problems.

English, Gaeilge